Lieutenant Colonel Harpy summoned Lieutenant Ugad and several other officers into the tent and assigned them the task we had just discussed.

I looked at my watch, it was only six o'clock, and it was at least four hours after the enemy planes were to be dispatched, and I took advantage of this time to check the readiness of the women's company.

After Harpy had finished his assignment and several officers saluted and left, I got up to say goodbye to him and Pucciko. Seeing that I was leaving, the two of them tried their best to persuade me to stay, saying that they would see the newly formed air defense post system together later and see if it could play its due role in night air defense.

I excused myself and said that I would go back to the women's company to check on the formation of the air defense post system, and asked Lieutenant Colonel Harpy to call me after discovering that the enemy planes were sorting, and I would come back from the women's company at that time. As I said this, I was in such a hurry to leave that I caught a glimpse of the embarrassed look on the faces of Lieutenant Colonel Harpy and Pitcho, and I didn't have time to think about what was going on.

Back at the station of the women's company, Kirianova and Orlova were waiting for me in the tent. As soon as I asked about the air defense post, he immediately reported to me that four fighters from each platoon had been transferred to set up a temporary air defense post squad, which was divided into groups of three and rotated every six hours, to be on duty all day.

After reporting her work, Orlova asked with some concern: "Leda, does this air defense sentry system really work?" ”

"It works, and it works." I replied to her unequivocally, just kidding, the performance of the American aircraft in the United States after more than ten years is much stronger than the German aircraft now, isn't it the same to be confused by the heroic volunteers?

"Lida," Kirianova asked again, "I still want to ask." After we have an air defense post, what is the task of our anti-aircraft artillery battery when enemy aircraft attack? ”

"It depends." When she asked this, she really stopped me, thought for a moment, and then replied: "If it is too dark to see the incoming enemy planes, the whole unit will remain hidden." If we open fire rashly, it is possible that the enemy planes will not shoot down, but will expose our position, invite bombing and strafing by the enemy planes, and cause unnecessary casualties. If we can't beat it, can't we hide from it? ”

"But ......," Kirianova tried to say something, but I waved my hand to stop it, and I added: "Of course, we can't just avoid the battle, and if we have a good view on a moonlit night and we can clearly spot enemy planes, we will open fire decisively." Antiaircraft guns attack enemy planes by covering rather than hitting, and with our existing gun position formation, we concentrate our firepower on an enemy plane, so that shrapnel can form a kill zone in the air without dead ends. As long as the enemy's plane dares to crash in, it will not come back. ...... "Although I know that Kirianova and Orlova, as professionals, know more about these theoretical knowledge than I do, they still talk a lot, mainly to increase their confidence, after all, people are still somewhat skeptical of unknown new things.

With all this, Kirianova asked again about my encounter with the German patrol in the afternoon. The two of them could find out about it, and it was obvious that Naya had come back to report it to them. However, in the early stages of the battle, Naya hid behind me with her gun and shivered, probably not seeing anything. Then I ordered Naya to go to the second company in Baku to ask for help, and she couldn't tell how the battle was going and how it ended. The only thing that could be reported to his company commander and instructor was that he encountered a German patrol on the road, and after the battle, our army completely annihilated the enemy.

I briefly described how I encountered a German patrol on the road and how the battle took place. When I was told about the soldiers of Second Lieutenant Savchenko, they flattened their anti-aircraft machine guns and knocked out two German armored vehicles. Orlova couldn't help but interject and asked: "Leda, since the anti-aircraft machine gun can be used to fight the armored vehicles of the German army, can our anti-aircraft guns be used to fight tanks if they are flat?" Of course, the premise is that it must be equipped with special armor-piercing shells. ”

When I was on the Pulkovo Heights in early October last year, I suggested to General Zhukov, then commander of the Leningrad Front, that enough anti-aircraft machine guns and anti-aircraft guns be mobilized to defend the front-line positions and use them specifically to fight the German tanks and armored vehicles. It's been a few months, why hasn't this method of warfare been popularized, is it because people are cold as soon as they leave, Zhukov's command style, and many orders issued before leaving office, have been denied by the new commanders?

While he was thinking wildly, suddenly someone outside the tent shouted a report. Kirianova shouted outside the door: "Come in!" ”

As soon as the words ended, a female warrior with a rifle on her back lifted the curtain and walked in.

"What's the matter?" Kirianova asked the female soldier.

The female soldier reported: "Report to the company commander instructor, it seems that someone is shouting the name of the major at the station across the road. ”

"Really?" I stood up, lifted the curtain and walked out, and sure enough, I heard someone calling my name in the distance: "Major Oshanina, is Major Oshanina here?" ”

"I'm Oshanina, what's the matter?" I shouted loudly into the distance.

"Lieutenant Colonel Harpy, please come along."

"Okay, I know what to do, I'll go over right away."

I went back to the tent, gathered my weapon, unloaded the magazine from my gun, and took a new one from my briefcase and put it on. In the process of being busy, I stared at the phone on the table that had never rang, and said with a wry smile: "This Lieutenant Colonel Harpy, if you have something to look for me, just make a phone call, why let the soldiers shout outside for a long time." ”

When Orlova heard me say this, she quickly explained: "Lida, you probably don't know the way yet. Although we and the road convoy are under the management of General Shilov, our two families belong to different systems, and this phone can only talk to the troops of this system. In other words, even though we are close at hand, their phone calls cannot be reached, and our calls cannot be reached. ”

"However, General Shilov should be able to communicate directly with all the troops on the ice transport line, right?" I asked uncertainly.

"That's natural, the general's office and duty room use a lot of telephones, and it's quite convenient to contact any unit you want."

After listening to Orlova's explanation, I understood why the two male officers had a look of embarrassment on their faces when I left Lieutenant Colonel Harpy's tent just now. Fortunately, the stove in the house is still relatively warm, otherwise, our situation would really be a situation where we basically rely on shaking for heating and shouting for calls.

Not long after I arrived at Lieutenant Colonel Harpy's tent, enemy planes arrived as scheduled. After the sound of crisp gunshots, the convoy that had been telling the driving team on the transport line turned off their lights one after another and turned off the engine on the side of the road to hide. In addition to a few scrapped trucks with their headlights, the soldiers also put a lot of lanterns on the ice, looking from afar, it really looks like a driving convoy.

Our camouflage tactics achieved the desired effect, and the enemy planes flying on the ice transport line dived down towards the fake convoy, dropping bombs and strafing them, and they were very happy.

Standing outside the tent, Lieutenant Colonel Harpy couldn't help but laugh when he saw that the German planes had been fooled and were frantically bombing the fake convoy. He couldn't help but take out the cigarette case, took out a cigarette from it and put it in his mouth, and when he was about to strike a match to light the cigarette, the political commissar Pchiko next to him slapped the cigarette off his mouth and scolded in a low voice: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, don't smoke, be careful to expose the target." ”

German planes came and went, bombs and bullets poured desperately at the location of the fake convoy without money, until the bombs were thrown and the bullets were gone, and then they swaggered back home.

Seeing the enemy plane moving away, Lieutenant Colonel Harpy waved his hand and said loudly: "Let's go, let's go and see how the German planes are doing?" Commissar Pchiko said: "I will ask about the situation in other areas, and I will not accompany you." ”

We went to the place where the abandoned trucks had been placed, and saw that the ice had been blown up. According to Lieutenant Ugad, they had placed eleven trucks and dozens of lanterns here, and at this moment, there was nothing but the black water and the crushed ice floating on it, and it was estimated that it had sunk to the bottom of the lake.

As soon as we entered the tent, Pucciko excitedly told us: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, Major Oshanina, I have just called the road convoys in other sections, and they all report that the newly established air defense post system is very useful. In the air raid just now, the convoy did not suffer any losses because of the timely prevention. ”

Knowing that the air defense post system did play a great role tonight, my original fears were dissipated. I snorted, and then said to Harpy and Pucciko: "Comrade commanders, if there is nothing to do, I will go back to the women's company station." I haven't slept well these days, so I took this opportunity to make up for my sleepiness. ”

Pucciko said with a smile on his face: "Go, Major Oshanina, it is estimated that the enemy planes will not come again tonight, you can sleep well." ”

Lieutenant Colonel Harpy also asked with concern: "Do you need me to send someone to escort you back to the women's company?" ”

I waved my hand and declined his kindness. Just kidding, it's only a hundred meters away from my tent, and it's a bit too exaggerated to need someone to escort me for such a short distance. I saluted the two of them and turned to leave the tent.

I didn't say anything all night, and I slept until dawn.

While they were having breakfast with Kirianova, the phone on the table rang. Orlova, who was closest to the phone, picked up the microphone, and as soon as she said a word, she immediately stood up and shouted into the microphone: "Yes, yes, Comrade Major is here." I immediately asked her to answer the phone. Then he handed the microphone over.

I took the phone from her hand, fed it, and then heard the voice of Commissar Higgin: "Good morning, Major Oshanina. You're having breakfast, aren't you? ”

Hearing that it was the voice of the political commissar, I quickly stood up and said respectfully: "Hello! Comrade Political Commissar. ”

"Comrade Oshanina, I congratulate you." Political Commissar Higgin said straight to the point, "The plan for the air defense post system you proposed proved to be very effective in last night's air raid, and effectively avoided the loss of our army's convoy. Then he slowed down and said, "General Shirov asked me to convey his apologies to you, he admitted that yesterday's tone was a little too heavy, and you were wronged, please don't mind!" ”

"Comrade Commissar, look at what you said." The leader wants to apologize to me, but I still have to maintain a modest attitude, otherwise I will leave a bad impression on the leader, "It was our failure to do a good job and the convoy suffered unnecessary losses, and Comrade General was right in criticizing it." ……”

I wanted to say a few more words, but I was interrupted by Shikin, who said on the phone: "You get ready, hitchhike to the city, Commander Khotzin and General Shilov want to see you." ”

When I was about to ask if I would be caught by the patrol as a deserter after entering the city without a business permit, Higgin added: "You get off at the first checkpoint in the city, the same checkpoint where you almost got into the fight last time, and I asked my driver to pick you up there." Do you understand? ”

"Understood!" As soon as he said this, Higgin hung up the phone.

"Lida," Kirianova asked with concern, "what did the commissar say on the phone?" ”

"Let me go into the city at once, saying that Commander Khotzin and General Shilov want to see me."